Archive Page only: Edward “Ted”
Houser passed away on February 16, 2014 at the age of age 82. Since that
time, portions of the collection have been sold and it is no longer open.

Heading north from Riverton on US 69, I had gone only
a little over a mile when I saw a sign saying "Ted's Old Iron Farm &
Museum - Exit Here." I drove west on Lostine Road about 4 miles without
seeing it and was about to give up when I saw a mail carrier and asked
him for directions. The Old Iron Farm was another half mile.

Pulling back into the small rural farm, I found 70 year
old Ted Houser, working on a neighbor's lawn mower. Ted graciously took
a break to show me around his collection of agricultural implements and
equipment. The collection was scattered around the yard and also filled
three rooms and the two bathrooms in a fairly large out building. (Yes
the bathrooms were filled with tools and kitchen utensils as well!) Many
of the items on exhibit had been used on this farm which has been in the
Houser family for over 100 years.

The collection is fun, but the highlight of my visit was
meeting Ted Houser. I can't remember how many times he said he was going
to show me something I had never seen before or challenged me to guess
what some farm tool or implement was. Few of the items on exhibit have
labels and the tour would have meant as much to me without Ted.